Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

Geography

All other countries : CITES certificates are needed when any CITES listed plant crosses any international border. CITES is international, permits are needed for all listed genera (even artificial hybrids) sent to customers in the USA, Switzerland, Norway, Russia etc. from any other country

Permits are needed no matter where you buy your plants – if you are in the USA and buy from Canada, then you need a CITES certificate. If you buy an orchid on eBay from another country, then you DO need a CITES permit – despite what dealers there may tell you!

Certificates

All of our CITES species are covered by certificates and every last CITES plant that we grow is legal, traceable and fully accountable. We can obtain CITES export certificates but the UK has the most expensive CITES certificates in Europe. The current price is £75 per genus plus £1.50 per species or hybrid. If you wish us to get them for you, we can do so. The permit is offered for sale within each CITES genus.

● You pay for the application and we then pay on your behalf to the government department. All fees are payable on application, (not when a permit is granted).

● CITES permit application charges are not refundable if the application is refused or if you change your mind and cancel an order. We have not had any applications refused yet but the possibility exists. Please don’t ask us to apply for you if you cannot accept this risk.

● Permits are specific – each plant must be named and an exact quantity given. (e.g. not “Orchid hybrid” or “Cypripedium” but “3 Cypripedium ventricosum“).

● The permits we obtain apply to our own stocks and plants bought from us, which are fully traceable and verified as to source and legality. They are not a general permit that you can buy to legitimise plants you have bought from other growers or which you already own.

● Please don’t ask us to post CITES plants, outside of the EC, without a permit – we will not do it.

Plants affected by CITES

The scope of CITES is wide and it is getting wider as bureaucracy is increased and legitimate trade in artificially propagated plants is slowly being strangled by paperwork.

CITES applies to man-made, artificial hybrids and garden cultivars which have never been wild plants.

We mark each CITES genus and each species to advise you. From our range the following are some of those affected : Cyclamen, Galanthus, Sternbergia. All Orchids (e.g.. Bletilla, Calanthe, Calopogon, Cypripedium, Epipactis, Habenaria, Pleione, Pogonia, Ponerorchis).